Scottsdale, Arizona.

In 2012, I was invited to visit Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale auction by a friend of mine who is also into classic cars. It was our first year that we spent the winter in Arizona after our retirement in December 2011. From that visit forward, we always reserved a day to visit the auction.

In January 2022, we decided to sell our winter home and spend our remaining winters traveling until we can travel no more. In a few days, we’ll be headed for Florida to spend a month in Saint Augustine. From there, if all goes as planned, we’ll be on a Caribbean cruise and then trek westward toward New Orleans and into Texas. We are looking forward to new travel adventures and seeing places we’ve never been before. One casualty of our decision is that I will be missing the January 2023 Scottsdale auction. Who knows, maybe I’ll be able to catch one of the other auctions held around the country by Barrett-Jackson or Mecum. In the meantime, I thought I’d share some of my favorite images from the last decade that were captured at the auto auction.

The opening image features a 1958 Chevrolet Corvette “Restomod.” That term describes a restoration with modifications to make the vehicle one-of-a-kind. As you can see by the restorer’s placement of mirrors underneath the vehicle, the team that restored this vehicle is just as proud of the underside of the car as they are of the rest of the work to make this Corvette new and unique.

Over the years, I’ve been an admirer of luxury vehicles over the hot rods and sports cars, but pretty much all of them are out of my price range anyway. I appreciate the work and dedication needed to keep these cars looking nice, if not specifically historically accurate. This Auburn is truly a beautiful classic.

You may have already noticed that I often prefer close-ups of the vehicles I photograph. This serves two purposes, to focus on a detail that sets the vehicle apart from others, and to reduce or eliminate the distraction of other nearby vehicles and the many attendees at the auction. The large chrome radiator with the Rolls Royce emblem is immediately identifiable by car nuts like myself.

The motorcycle in the image above is a classic bit of Americana… er, ah, oops… these ladies happened to step in front of the bike I was trying to photograph. >grin<

I’ve shared this image before. This Cadillac was parked under a tent, but the vehicle’s nose was in the sun. I created an HDR image and tweaked the exposure to focus on the massive chrome grill and bumper.

In all, we attended ten auctions in Scottsdale. There was no auction in 2020 due to the pandemic, and in 2021, the auction was moved to March. What I found of most interest is the historic nature of classic cars. I especially enjoy reading the placards often provided by owners looking to sell their vehicles. The tidbits of knowledge they provide are always fascinating. This post-war Lincoln is equipped with a V-12 engine, power windows, factory AM radio, and a fully rebuilt drive train.

One of Ford’s biggest marketing blunders was the ill-timed Edsel. Manufactured from 1957 to 1959, the namesake of Henry Ford’s son couldn’t survive the inadequate market research of the time. Ford manufactured a little over 118,000 units in those three model years. The remaining examples of this classic are sought-after symbols of a major manufacturer’s failure.

I am not convinced that electric vehicles are going to completely replace gasoline vehicles in the long term. They will have their place in the grand scheme of things, but unless there are major developments in the cost and power output of batteries, they are not efficient for long trips. Of course, I’ve been wrong about lots of things, and I could be dead wrong about this as well. I personally own a hybrid vehicle and think it provides the best of both technologies and I don’t have to spend 30 minutes every three hours sitting at recharging stations on a multiple-day road trip.

The history of the automobile is intertwined with the 20th-century development of the transportation industry, especially in Detroit Michigan. I have often complained that the quest for maximum energy efficiency has created a worldwide emphasis on computer-designed body styles, all trying to emulate the most energy-efficient body shape. When I was a teen and a young man, I could easily identify any American car by its looks and even a good number of the few foreign cars that were just getting a foothold in the American marketplace. These days, if you can’t see the logo badge, one car looks just like another.

I am always interested in the history of specific brands and models of automobiles, especially those classics that I was familiar with as a young man. In recent years, I ran across a blog that echoes my love of automotive history. Of late, his blog diverges at times from automotive subjects, but I always find his take on the world and automotive history, in general, to be interesting. I invite you to check out “Disaffected Musings” and see what you think. The author goes by the pen name “RulesOfLogic.” He invites comments and has a core of regular commenters that often add much to the topic of conversation.

For a closer look at these classic automobiles, you can view and scroll through the album on my Flickr site here. The weekly Lens-Artists Photo Challenge is on hiatus for this week and next. I decided to share some images of classic cars while I lament the fact that I won’t be at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale this year. I promise next Thursday to take the day off, but my regular Cellpic Sunday and Travel Tuesday posts will be published on schedule.

John Steiner

Scottsdale, Arizona.

Every year since 2012, we’ve visited Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale auto auction. My wife, Lynn, and I enjoy checking out the classic cars. We love to walk through the tents and check out the vehicles sold or waiting to be sold.

Walking through the tents is an exercise in walking through automotive history. This day, however, we found a unique vehicle that wasn’t built that long ago. This 2021 Honda Civic is rare with only 600 produced in this Phoenix Yellow paint scheme. For the true car nut, the engine is a turbocharged 4-cylinder paired to a 6-speed manual transmission.

This essentially new car with only 59 miles on the odometer attracted our attention because Lynn currently drives a Honda Civic, and this car’s unusual color scheme happens to match Lynn’s yellow face mask. No, we didn’t buy the car, but for the record, it sold for $58,300.

About the photo: Captured with my Samsung S20U, the image was uploaded to my Flickr site, then transferred to Adobe Lightroom for final processing. If you click on the image, you can pixel peep in 2K HD resolution.

I encourage fellow bloggers to create their own Cellpic Sunday posts. I never have a specific topic for this feature, and the only rules are that the photo must be captured with a cell phone, iPad, or another mobile device… If you have an image from a drone or even a dashcam, that’s acceptable as well. The second rule is to link your challenge response to this post or leave a comment here with a link to your post in the comment.

John Steiner

Scottsdale, Arizona.

In late January, the Scottsdale Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction became my focus on the usual Thursday for me and family members who shared the day with us. Scheduled about a week later than usual at WestWorld, this year the shuttles from the “purple lot” parking area were back in service and the sale seemed to be back to normal despite Omicron. Given all of the members of our group are triple vaxxed and most of the cars we viewed were outside under open-air tents, we had no concerns about Covid, and indeed, all have now returned home with no indication of the disease. But I digress, so that’s all I’m going to say about the pandemic.

I like to go on Thursdays because there are fewer attendees than on the weekend, and many cars, like the one in the opening photo, have already been sold. They await pickup or delivery to the new owner. Marked with a Sold sticker on the windshield, a little white space allows for a notation of the sold price. The docket number is plain to see so that I can look up the details on the vehicle at Barrett-Jackson’s website. I noticed a discrepancy between the price written on the sticker and the price on the docket. The window sticker says $22K, but the docket page indicates sold at $24,200. Thanks to a friend of mine at Disaffected Musings, a blog about cars, he noted the price on the sticker is the “hammer price”, the additional cost in the docket includes buyer’s commission. If you are into cars and automotive history, check out my friend’s blog.

Like all of the cars featured here, this car is unique and rare, one of only a few built between 1957 to 1962. The Autobianchi Bianchina Transformable is built on a Fiat 500 platform with a rear-mounted 2-cylinder, 21 hp engine. This 1958 model has a 4-speed manual transmission to motivate it, and, though you cannot see them in this photo, it sports a pair of suicide doors (doors that open hinged in the rear instead of the front.)

When I first saw this Fiat-based vehicle with wicker seats and white fringed top, I was immediately drawn to one of my favorite TV shows from the past. The show opened with Tattoo saying, “Boss, da plane, da plane!!!” and Mr. Roarke greeting the guests and leading them to their fantasy. No, this car has nothing to do with Fantasy Island, the 1977 TV series, it just reminded me of the show.

This vehicle is a 1965 Fiat Ghia Giardiniera Jolly and was designed by the then chairman of Fiat Motors. According to the description on the docket, it was sold as a vehicle “designed for wealthy Europeans to carry aboard their yachts to be used while in port.” Oh, my! Not so far from Fantasy Island for most of the world, anyway. This vehicle sold for a cool $56,100.

In 1975 and 1976, Cadillac built a relative handful of the Mirage pickup. Yes, that’s right, a Cadillac pickup. Though you cannot see the pickup bed from this view, this is a fully equipped Cadillac front with a bench seat but without that back seat. Cadillac only made 204 of these vehicles in the two-year production run, and 15 of them included something that the other 189 lacked.

In the view above, you can see the rear window of the pickup is directly behind the front seat, and the rear side window looks into the pickup bed. That’s the normal design of the Mirage roofline to maintain that dignified “Cadillac look”. What is unique is the small door that opens up in the area below the pickup bed. Of course, it’s for your golf clubs. It sold for $41,800 and included a period-correct set of golf clubs stowed inside the golf club compartment.

My favorite vehicle of the show, this 1977 GMC Gadabout is a 26-foot motorhome built for Coca-Cola in their 1978 national sweepstakes. One of only five built, this Gadabout features full equipment that would have been found in a motorhome of the era. Even the spare tire cover features a Coca-Cola bottlecap design.

The interior features the Coca-Cola red-and-white color scheme, and many accessories like that Coca-Cola napkin holder on the small table. This unique vehicle sold for $53,900.

The doorway of the unit was too narrow for me to get a good view of the kitchenette area due to the refrigerator cabinet on the right, but as you can see, it was delivered with a sink, microwave, and gas range. Above and to the right of the photo, a modern LCD television replaced the original 1977-design portable TV, a nice upgrade.

My favorite Coca-Cola reference in the motorhome is the standard motorhome style refrigerator done up with decals that made it look like a Coke machine. No, the buttons don’t work, it just looks like a Coke machine.

Of course, there were many other beautiful cars of all types we saw this year, and I am looking forward to the possibility of attending the Mecum auction in Glendale, Arizona in March. That will be our first trip there. Unless something more important comes up, (like a cruise), we’ll plan to check it out.

All of the images in this post are available to view in 2K HD. Click on any image to pixel-peep, scroll through the gallery, or see the specific metadata of each image, should you be so inclined. You can also visit the album page here.

John Steiner

Scottsdale, Arizona.

This week Ann-Christine provides us with the opportunity to share memorable events, as she notes in her post, “…new ones or delightful memories.” Her visit to the Sahara Desert includes some stunning photography and is truly an interesting story. You can see her entire challenge post here.

As it happens, this week’s challenge coincides with an annual memorable event for me. Starting with our retirement in 2012 and spending winters in the Phoenix area, I was invited by some friends to attend the annual Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction in Scottsdale. Having never before attended a “big-time” auto auction and being a fan of classic automobiles, I was mesmerized by the sheer number of classic cars of virtually all genres. Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale has become an annual visit in January of each year. For my challenge-response, I will share some of my memories of visits to the auction over the years. I am featuring a few of the memorable vehicles that I’ve seen at the auction.

Probably the most interesting vehicle that I saw in my first visit to Barrett-Jackson is in the opening photo. The 1964 Miller-Meteor hearse above is inextricably tied to certainly one of the most memorable events in my lifetime. This hearse happened to be on display at the National Funeral Directors Association Convention in Dallas Texas in November 1963. After the convention, it was delivered to its new owner, the O’Neal Funeral Home in Dallas. A short time later, this vehicle earned its place in history when it was called into service to transport the body of President John F. Kennedy and the first lady from Parkland Memorial Hospital to the airport at Love Field.

On that fateful day, this vehicle represented the loss of the hopes and dreams of a Camelot that would never come to pass. I did not publish this photo before as I was not particularly proud of its composition. I share it now because of its place as part of my own memory of a tragic event.

This custom-built “jalopy” was designed by the renowned George Barris for the 1960s era television sitcom, The Beverly Hillbillies. The car was built on the chassis of a 1924 Reo. Barris Kustom designed many cars over the years, another well-known vehicle from their shop is the Munster Koach dragster, Drag-U-La among many others. That Beverly Hillbillies truck now resides in the Ralph Foster Museum in Branson, Missouri.

This vehicle was the Presidential limousine used by Herbert Hoover during his presidency. The 1929 Cadillac Fleetwood Imperial Transformable Limousine was a special build and overseen by the President of Cadillac Motor Cars, Lawrence P. Fisher.

The phonetic spelling on the license plate of this 1956 Austin Princess should give you a hint as to the celebrity who once owned this classic automobile. Though Austin is known for its sports cars, the company also made limousines. This limo was custom modified by its rock star owner by installing two rows of airline seats complete with ashtray armrests. The car, once owned by John Lennon, was featured in the 1972 documentary film, “Imagine.”

For my final memorable event, excuse me while I “geek out” on what is becoming a transformational technology in automotive history. The photo above is the “under-the-hood” view of a one-of-a-kind prototype electric vehicle. The Mustang Mach-E 1400 contains seven electric motors and a high-performance battery that allows the vehicle to generate 1,400 peak horsepower at high speeds. By high speed, I mean, like 160 mph (257 kph), how’s that for a road rocket?

Thanks to Ann-Christine for allowing me to share my love of classic (and in this case, memorable) vehicles. We will be at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale on Thursday, the day this is published. Rest assured, there will be plenty of images of vehicles captured there this year, some no doubt memorable in history, automotive or otherwise.

To view an enlarged image of any of these vehicles, click on the image to see it on my Flickr page and to scroll through the gallery. Or you can click here to visit my Flickr album.

John Steiner

Scottsdale, Arizona.

Delayed by the pandemic, Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale came and went in late March 2021. Since my first visit in 2012, I have never missed this gathering of classic and modern automotive technology. I don’t have the finances to support buying at the auction, let alone having a place to store all of the beautiful vehicles that I come to see. No matter, I’m like a kid in a candy store with no money in my pocket when I get there. I can look, but I mustn’t touch.

First a note about the show being held while we are still in the midst of the worst pandemic of our lives. In addition to delaying the show, the auction company closed off the auction floor to all but registered bidders and provided them with socially distanced seating as well as expanding their capability to handle bidding via online auction. They did not offer shuttle service from parking lots that were not within a reasonable walking distance as they have in the past. I could see there was no real need to provide off-site parking based upon the clearly smaller number of attendees that we saw looking at the vehicles.

Attendees, exhibitors, and staff were required to wear masks. We arrived in the morning and I noted that there was high compliance from attendees at properly wearing masks. As the day wore on and more people arrived, we began to see many people not wearing or improperly wearing masks as we all wandered through the several large open-air vehicle display tents. Our group made it a point to keep our distance from others. Just because we are vaccinated doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be careful in large groups. With the smaller number of attendees, it wasn’t hard to keep our distance.

Finally, we noticed far fewer cars on display in the outside vehicle tents than usual. There were a lot larger gaps between cars in the tents, and it wasn’t just for social distancing as many cars were parked close together (parking lot style). It appears that there were far fewer cars for sale this year. I don’t know if that is an indication that people are hanging on to their classics for economic or pandemic mitigation reasons. But I digress…. back to the show.

Ford Motor Company has the first exhibit space one sees when walking in the main entrance, and the opening image, my dear readers, threw me for a loop. It was the first open hood I saw among the new Fords on display. This is the under-hood view of the Cobra Jet 1400, an all-electric drag racing concept car. It is a screamer, as I would find out later when watching some YouTube videos. The 1400 HP electric system holds its own against conventional dragsters in its class, and it would appear that driver reaction time is as important a determination of a winning race as is the performance characteristics of the vehicle.

You can see for yourself about this electric concept car just by searching YouTube for “Cobra Jet 1400”.  Here is a link to a one-minute video to give you a taste of the performance of this vehicle.

Of course, Ford was showing off its Mustang Mach-E, a machine that is apparently taking sales from the industry leader, Tesla. This year at Barrett-Jackson, there were more electric cars on display and for sale in the auction than I have seen in previous years. The Premium model Mach E goes about 300 miles (483 km) on a charge and will set you back about $50K USD.

This vehicle is called the ElectraMeccanica Solo, a three-wheel vehicle, licensed in most states as a motorcycle. It is being billed as a perfect commuter car, qualifies for riding in the HOV lanes during rush hour traffic and provides a 100-mile range on a charge. When it’s available for purchase later this year, expect to pay about $20,000.

If you want something a little more like a classic sports car, the ElectroMeccanica eRoadster seats two and can do 0-60 in about 6 seconds. You can go 190 miles (306 km) on a charge, but be prepared to put down about $125,000 USD to join this electric club.

Tesla had their complete line of vehicles on display. I admit to forgetting to note which model Tesla I captured in the photo above. The least expensive Tesla is the Model 3. According to an article from Motor Trend (here), the Standard Range Plus model sells for around $40K USD and has a range of 263 miles (423 km).

I only saw one electric vehicle sold on the auction block (though I am sure there were more.) This 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV LT has a 240 mile (386 km) range and sold for $17,600 USD.

But enough about electric vehicles. Truthfully, I have no interest in owning one. I do a lot of cross-country traveling and don’t feel like stopping every 2-300 miles and sitting around to wait for batteries to charge. If I were still working and needed a commuter vehicle, I might consider it. For now, I drive a hybrid (Toyota Avalon), and it provides long-range 45 mpg fuel economy, and a comfortable big-car ride.

My fun car is a 2004 Mustang V6 that I purchased in July 2016 from a friend who took very good care of it during his many years of ownership. The image above is a photo I took of my orange pony at a classic car gathering in Goodyear Arizona.

Speaking of Mustangs, I present for your review (and comment, if you are so inclined), a gallery of Mustangs sold at Barrett-Jackson this year. As always, I recommend that you select an image to get a better view and to more easily scroll through the gallery.

John Steiner

Regular readers of this humble wannabe tome know that since wintering in Arizona, I spend some time every year at Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale Auto Auction. I like to pick Thursday for my day trip and I always enjoy the day’s selection of cars on display, many of which were sold earlier in the week. The SOLD sticker has a notation in marker as to the selling price of the vehicle. I’m always amazed at how some cars are “overpriced” and others are “stolen.” While many visitors enjoy watching and even participating in the auction’s bidding process, I prefer to wander the venue and marvel at the love and attention given to these classic beauties. Barrett-Jackson has over a hundred employees on site, not the least important of these are the white gloved vehicle handlers who are responsible for maneuvering expensive classics into and out of tight spaces with spectators all around them.

This year, I am sharing galleries of more detailed images with sale details on a small collection of vehicles that appealed to me. Click on one of the images in each gallery to enlarge and to scroll through the subset.

You’ll note that I’m not a big fan of “resto-mods” that go over the top with custom redesigns. Given today’s penchant for upgrades of all kinds, major restorations are probably going to have modern technology inserted that wasn’t available at the time. I noticed many “stock” vehicles have been upgraded to digital dashboards. One model has the original car radio installed in the dash with a fancy new high-tech audio system hidden in the glove box. The Buick hardtop featured above is one of two offered in similar color schemes, the other one sold for a “bargain” $99,000.

OK, so after I just got done telling you I’m not a fan of heavy customization, I feature a 1967 Mustang that is one highly customized vehicle. That just goes to show that I appreciate fine workmanship from the Italian leather interior to the Mercedes top, this is one quality build. It sold for $74,800.

I’ve always been a fan of the quirky Ford sales failure known as the Edsel. Marketing blunders and poor workmanship were two factors that doomed the Edsel from the start. This car’s advert in the Barrett-Jackson docket mentions that this car is equipped with the 3-speed automatic column shifter. The much touted push-button transmission selector in the center of the steering wheel proved to be trouble-prone.

This beautifully restored Packard was the last of a great lineage of automobiles that began in 1899. Their last production year was 1956 after which the company merged with Studebaker and American Motors. Though modeled similar to the Studebakers of the year, the Packard Hawk featured upgraded leather interior and other deluxe features. This award winning example sold for $58,300.

To conclude this, my eighth visit to Barrett-Jackson – Scottsdale, I leave you with the image of a classic hood ornament. Apparently the Arizona winters are too cold for this racing dog fitted with its own custom sweater.

John

In the original photo, I had the camera in a wide angle setting and captured a lot of extraneous background in an effort to “lead the target” to be sure the high speed of the horse didn’t move the subject out of the frame. Unfortunately, I don’t have a lens with a very low aperture setting so the very busy background of fencing and the cowboy in the background create a real distraction to the subject. In the final image, I did a vertical crop to cut out all of the distractions on the right side of the image. I then used some of the layering and artistic tools in Photoshop Elements create a softer background in an effort to give the viewer a chance to focus more on the subject. Converting the image to black-and-white gave it an even stronger subject focus, I believe.

When the subject is static, in-camera framing is a great way to focus on the part of a subject that you want to emphasize. In the image above, this 1957 De Soto Adventurer featured the then popular large tail fin along with a vertical set of tail lights and chromed exhaust. The Adventurer logo prominent on the side boldly proclaims its identity. Over the years, I’ve focused on hundreds of classic automobiles and those small but iconic portions of the vehicle that make it instantly recognizable to the initiated. I present for your review a collection of some of my favorite automotive classics. In most browsers, you can click on an image to enlarge it for a better view.

This is one of my favorite images, a mid-1950’s era Ford coupe. I could tell you the year if I could see the tail lights, but truth is, I don’t remember that detail anymore. My point of emphasis for this shot is the body design curves.

A beautiful example of Ford’s classic station wagon series is the 1957 Ranch Wagon shown above.

The distinctive tail fin assembly is understated for its year in this 1959 Oldsmobile.

This 1942 Lincoln Zephyr features the massive use of chrome popular at the time.

Finally, my last example fills the frame with the iconic Chevrolet V-8 engine found in a 1957 Bel Air.

Thanks to Patti for allowing me the pleasure of sharing some of my favorite classic automobile photos captured over the years.

John Steiner

My first winter in Arizona brought me, with friends, to my first Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction. Since then, I haven’t missed spending at least a day during the 8 auction days each January. This year was no exception and along with my wife, my sister and her boyfriend, we arrived around 9 AM or so, and entered the main pavilion at West World. We usually head outside almost immediately and find the tents where there are four rows of classic cars sitting in the shade.

From here, we headed back and forth admiring the handiwork of skilled craftsmen who spent untold numbers of hours repairing, rebuilding, refurbishing and reflecting upon the histories of their project cars. This week, we went on Thursday so many of the cars we viewed had already been sold. Some of the cars were no doubt “stolen” at the auction, with the owners probably not getting close to what they put into their vehicle with money and a fair measure of love for the build. Other sellers were handsomely rewarded. This beautiful 1957 Chevy Station Wagon brought in $31,900 at auction.

This beautiful 1955 Ford Thunderbird was immaculate inside and out. The engine compartment was clean enough to “eat off of.”

If you run the engine, you can keep your food warm as well. And, as you can see by the image below, the interior is just as painstakingly restored. The car sold at auction for $29,700. I’ve got to wonder if the seller got his investment back.

The 1970 Plymouth Satellite Custom Convertible above, beautifully done in purple, brought the princely sum of $74,800 at auction. The interior and engine look just as great as the paint job.

This beauty is a 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible. The auction rewarded the seller with $69,300 (less commissions). Still and all, not a bad price for a beautiful restoration. The engine is shown in the image below.

Many cars are “restored” with engines that have no reflection on the realities of their day. The engine in the image below was fitted into a 1961 Chevrolet Impala.

The car is completely custom with only a strong resemblance to it’s original configuration, but that’s where it ends. According to the Barrett-Jackson website, this car is equipped with a 5.7-liter Z06 engine, a GM 4L60E electronically controlled automatic transmission, and many other custom items. This beauty brought the seller $60,500.

I love the paintwork on this panel truck, a 1948 Chevrolet 3600 decked out in Route 66 murals on either side. The leather interior and high end carpets are obviously not standard equipment for a3600 Thriftmaster delivery truck. Nor are the cowboy hat holder or ivory shift knob. This piece of automotive art sold for only $18,700.

Inside the building, you can expect to find the salon cars, the high dollar restorations that I really enjoy. This 1934 Cadillac Custom Convertable sold for $181,500. It features a rebuild using all-original Fischer and Cadillac steel body panels. The 4.6 liter Cadillac Northstar engine is connected to a 700R4 automatic transmission. The power plant is shown in the final image below.

Oh, yes, there were cars there that sold for over $2 million USD, and cars that sold for well under $10,000. All in all, I find the auction a place to relive automotive history and to marvel at the work of the custom rebuilders. Of course, there are cars there that I would love to own, but I don’t lose any sleep over not having the funds to enjoy this particular hobby. To me, it’s an enjoyable place to take photos of some fantastic subjects and to spend time later with my photo processing software trying to bring out the best images that I can from the raw digital data captured in my cameras.

John Steiner

This week, Tina Schell challenges us to “…pay some attention to curves  – in nature, in architecture, on our roads and in our lives … just about everywhere if you think about it.” You can read her entire challenge post here. It’s an opportune topic for me, with Barrett-Jackson’s Auto Auction in full swing this week in Scottsdale to capture some more curves, those curves of the classic automobile like this 1934 Duesenberg in the opening image. From the curvature of the green exhaust manifold to the long sweeping curve that runs from the front fender, along the running board to the rear fender, this classic car uses curves to accent it’s classic architecture.

With a few exceptions, today’s cars are much more boxy and utilitarian. Though nearly all cars today feature an almost egg-shaped wedge layout that is wind-tunnel proven to provide the highest fuel economy, that’s about where the curved design ends. It’s one of the reasons cars today are hard to identify. They mostly all look the same, certainly not like this mid-1950’s era Ford coupe in the image above.

This 1937 Rolls-Royce Phantom III features curves in copper and steel, but the radiator grille and hood ornament give away the vehicle’s lineage as the quintessential luxury car. The copper and steel design was a rebuild of the original design commissioned by the car’s owner and Rolls-Royce collector John Gaul in 1946. Since then, it’s become famous at European concours. This beautiful example of automotive curvature was up for sale in 2018 in Scottsdale, but bidding did not meet the current owner’s reserve so it did not sell that day at auction.

My last example of classic automobile curvature features a 1950’s era Cadillac. This car was sitting underneath a covered area, but it was parked in the last row. The sun was at an angle that caused the shadow of the awning to accentuate the curved lines of the fenders and hood. When I saw the grille shining in the sun contrasted by the darker tones of the car in the shadows, I envisioned a black-and-white treatment. I am looking forward to heading to Barrett-Jackson. I’m writing this post on Monday, and our tickets for Thursday’s auction are already bought. I am already looking forward to sharing photos from the 2019 Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction with you in a week or two.

John Steiner

Scottsdale, Arizona.

This week, Cheri Lucas Rowlands asks to show something {or someone} sweet, no doubt in honor of Valentine’s Day. You can read her entire challenge post here. Having just returned from a Carnival Cruise, I missed my opportunity to photograph any number of luscious sweet desserts. I prefer instead to wrap myself around such morsels of goodness and follow that old adage, “No pictures, no videos, deny, deny, deny!” No, honey, I don’t know what happened to that last piece of pie.” “Out of cookies, again? How could that be?”

Instead, something sweet here at Journeys With Johnbo is a trip to the car show for a collection of sweet rides. The urban dictionary defines Sweet Ride in part as an automobile that is worth of praise. It is the experience one feels when “cruising in said vehicle is extremely pleasurable and braggable.” Herewith, I submit for your review, a collection of sweet rides… none of which have brought me the pleasure of that sweet ride, but from looks alone, I can deduce that a ride in any one of these would qualify as sweet indeed.

The opening image in this post is from a car show in Goodyear, Arizona. The gallery of images below feature some of my favorite rides seen at the Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction in Scottsdale. Most browsers support a click on an image to enlarge it and to scroll through the gallery.

John